A hosepipe and sprinkler ban has been implemented in Kent and Sussex due to a water shortage. South East Water made the decision as the demand for drinking water in June has reached
"record levels," similar to last year's drought. Approximately 4,000 customers have been without water or experiencing low pressure since Monday due to supply issues. Initially, the water company had advised people to use water only for essential purposes, but now they have imposed an immediate ban on hosepipes and sprinklers. This means that activities such as watering gardens, cleaning cars, and filling swimming pools will be prohibited.
The Temporary Usage Ban, which can only be enforced after ten days of consultation, is expected to come into effect after 26 June. Rule-breakers may face a fine of £1,000. Areas such as Wadhurst, Mayfield, Biddenden, and Staplehurst have already been affected by water outages. Bottle stations have been set up in both counties, and the supply issues are anticipated to continue until Sunday.
According to Douglas Whitfield, South East Water's director of operations, the hot weather has caused demand to exceed supply. Despite pumping water into the system, it is being used before reaching the customers at the end of the network. The company stated that its facilities are operating at full capacity, with all water treatment works and sources producing treated water to meet the demand. However, it has been unable to restore drinking water storage tanks to satisfactory levels.
Residents of Kent and Sussex are prohibited from using hosepipes to water gardens, plants, wash cars, patios, boats, fill swimming or paddling pools, and maintain domestic ponds.
South East Water highlighted that the demand for water has broken all previous records, including during the heatwaves of the Covid lockdown periods. They have been producing an additional 120 million liters of water per day, equivalent to supplying four towns the size of Maidstone or Eastbourne. The company serves 2.3 million people across Hampshire, Berkshire, Surrey, Sussex, and Kent.
The water shortage has caused significant issues for farmers, with some struggling to supply water to their livestock. Local schools have been forced to close, and there has been criticism from customers and local MPs towards the water company's handling of the situation.
The Met Office predicts above-average temperatures for the remainder of the week, with the possibility of heavy rain in the following two weeks, which may alleviate the water shortage.
South East Water previously faced supply issues in December 2022 when pipes burst due to rapid snow and ice thawing, leaving numerous households without water before Christmas. Earlier this year, a government minister urged the company to take urgent action to improve its performance significantly. Photo by Nandhp, Wikimedia commons.